Billy Mitchell, the world record holder in Donkey Kong and one of gaming's original stars, will be in Ottumwa, Iowa today as the city announces its intention to create a video games hall of fame.

Mitchell, according to Walter Day of the Ottumwa-based video game sanctioning body Twin Galaxies, is lending his name and support to the Ottumwa movement. Mitchell has pledged to donate the Donkey Kong cabinet on which he set the world record in 2007 to the hall of fame, Day said.

The push to place a hall of fame and museum in Ottumwa, a hub of the 1980s video gaming craze, was first reported by Kotaku earlier this month. The movement has gained significant traction since then. Ottumwa's mayor, city council members, the director of its chamber of commerce, and representatives of the city's convention bureau and development council will all be present at a meeting today at 2 pm local time (1 pm MDT). All endorse the idea of creating a hall of fame as a tourism attraction and business development opportunity.

The city was self-proclaimed the "Video Game Capital of the World" by its mayor and Iowa's governor in 1982. At the meeting today, Ottumwa will reassert its claim to that title and state its hall of fame intentions on the record. Kotaku is covering this meeting and will update this story later today.